CCTV footage showing a 'pickpocket' returning a wallet to his unsuspecting victim has gone viral on social media.

It is thought the incident took place in Austria.

The footage shows the man queuing behind another man at an ATM machine in an unknown location. Confident that his victim is distracted, the 'thief' then leans forward and slips a wallet from the victim's pocket before hastily putting it in his own jacket.

The 'pickpocket' then looks around after completing what looked like the perfect crime, but double-takes when he sees the camera.

The 'thief' backtracks when he sees the CCTV camera (Image: Facebook/Halid Arsajev)

Apparently remorseful, the man then drops the wallet onto the pavement and alerts his unsuspecting victim, who thanks him for the heads up.

The Facebook video has racked up more than 18 million views and almost 200,000 shares since it was posted by Halid Arsajev on Thursday.

Yet social media users have noted the poster's resemblance to the leather-clad 'petty thief', with many suspecting the incident was setup.